Peanuts take stage at concerts kickoff

Friday

Jun 25, 2010 at 2:00 AM

NORTH HAMPTON — The skies cleared Wednesday just in time to bathe the area in front of Centennial Hall in sunlight. It was there that, as the popular Seacoast band The Jumbo Circus Peanuts played classic big-band rock, kids danced, neighbors socialized, and families shared soft drinks, hotdogs and conversation.

Shir Haberman

NORTH HAMPTON — The skies cleared Wednesday just in time to bathe the area in front of Centennial Hall in sunlight. It was there that, as the popular Seacoast band The Jumbo Circus Peanuts played classic big-band rock, kids danced, neighbors socialized, and families shared soft drinks, hotdogs and conversation.

It was the first event in the Summer Concert Series 2010 organized by the Friends of the North Hampton Bandstand and was sponsored by Seacoast Memorials of Portsmouth. Hundreds of Seacoasters came out for it.

Lifelong town resident Jackie Mann came to the event with friends Beverly Frenette and Gloria Ajemian. She said the three had been schoolmates at Centennial Hall years earlier.

"This is the best thing North Hampton ever did," Ajemian said, referring to the construction of the bandstand at the intersection of routes 151 and 111, and the decision to hold summer there. "We wait all winter long for this."

However, not all the people in the crowd were from town. In fact, a surprising number were from other communities on the Seacoast.

"We came out because of the Jumbo Peanuts," said Judy Hammond of Dover, who was joined by her husband, Bill Higgins and their 4-month-old pet goat Izak. "We like to come out during the summer and take in the concerts."

Hammond and Higgins are well known around the Portsmouth area for their pet goat named Binx, who often accompanied them. Binx died in January of this year, and the two have continued their tradition, but now with Izak. Their appearance at Wednesday's concert delighted both the parents and youngsters in the crowd.

Raymond Richardson of Exeter said he also tries to attend every concert held at the North Hampton Bandstand.

The sale of food and soft drinks at the concerts helps support several area organizations, and those present were urged by Delores Chase of the Friends group, to buy the available items in order to support the sellers.

Andy Hirst, a past president of the St. James Lodge of Hampton, sat collecting money from his group's sale of hotdogs, beans, cold drinks, coffee and chips.

"This is a fund-raiser for the Masonic Lodge," Hirst said. "The money goes to our scholarship program for graduates of Winnacunnet High School."

Hirst said his volunteers will be showing up for every one of the 12 concerts scheduled to take place at the bandstand on Wednesday nights through Labor Day.

"We have a blast," he said.

Sharyl Murphy was selling popcorn for $1.50 a bag at the concert. The proceeds will go toward completing the ongoing Centennial Hall restoration project, she said.

The Friends group was also selling ice cream inside the hall and taking interested visitors on tours.

Asked if his group also intended to show up at every concert this year, Cub Scout leader Peter Philbrook of Pack 162, borrowed from the Scout oath.

"We will do our best," Philbrook said.

This is the first year the local Cub Scout Pack has taken on the job of selling baked goods at the concerts. In previous years the North Hampton Women's Club had performed that duty.

"This is a learning process for the boys, and we're not opposed to making some money at it," the Scout leader said. "We'll use it for scholarships to pay for uniforms and dues for kids who can't afford them, and to help keep costs down for parents."

Wednesday's event turned out to be a great kick-off to the 2010 season with much more to come.

On June 30, the popular Reggae/Calypso group Islandside with perform, and the following Wednesday, The Trombone Stompers Dixieland Band will appear for the first time on the bandstand stage.

For the concert schedule visit www.northhampton-nh.go, click on "Recreation Department."

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